First, let me hasten to say that he called himself “the crazy American”! I don’t think he is crazy at all but remarkably sane. Too few people take the chance that he took when he insisted upon coming to Los Castaños as the jumping off point for an extended European cycling adventure. Just him, his bike and a trailer called Bob.

He came to Cartajima via Workaway, a site dedicated to pairing people needing a helping hand with people who have one to spare. Their philosphy is “a few hours honest work per day in exchange for food and accommodation with friendly hosts in varying situations and surroundings.”

I needed somebody who would like to come to this beautiful part of Andalucia for a couple of weeks and help us with some gardening. He responded to my posting. I liked his attitude but told him he was crazy to come from New York just for a bit of digging. He told me to back off – it was his life. So I did and he came and he had, I hope, a great time with us, as we did getting to know him. He washed an incredible number of dishes, which was not part of the deal, and he finished the digging.

I felt motherly concern as he rode off into the mists on his bike but he promised to keep in touch. He has.